


Homecoming at Sunrise

by HeroMaggie



Series: Anders Needs Hugs [11]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 12:38:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3209513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroMaggie/pseuds/HeroMaggie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After settling down on Eavan Tabris' homestead, Anders and Marian make a good life of farming and healing the needy. The mage/templar war has left orphans on their doorstep and the chance for a growing family. But when Corypheus makes himself known, both Eavan and Marian find themselves forced from home - leaving Anders to keep the homestead going and the children safe.</p><p>Just when it seems like she will never return, Marian finds her way back to him.</p><p>**An Inquisition Anders Needs Hug story</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homecoming at Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> Marian Hawke and Anders are from my Griffon and Hawk story. Eavan Tabris and Alistair from my (not yet finished) Warden and King.

The sun was just slanting through the front windows of the small homestead, the mist still curling over the vegetable patch and herb garden, when Anders poured his first cup of tea for the day. Technically, he had had his first cup of tea sometime after midnight, but he refused to acknowledge that as day. It made him feel a little better to think he had gotten some sleep, that he hadn’t sat up most of the night with a cup of tea cooling on the butcher-block table and his face buried in his hands.

Months. It had been months since Marian had left to track down the Inquisition. Months since he had last felt her lips against his. Months since he had heard her laughter while teasing the children, heard her humming while she baked bread or worked next to him in the small clinic. Despite her assurances that she’d be back, that it was just temporary, he was beginning to lose hope of seeing her again.

It had been longer since he’d seen Eavan. That had been the start of it. Word had filtered through to them from first Varric and then her network of contacts. The Breach, the demons, the mages and templars – though that one was a lot more evident where they were at, and the Wardens. Eavan hadn’t paid much mind to the news of Fade rifts and demon attacks. Ever since the mages had risen up and the templars left the Chantry, their homestead had been inundated with people looking for aid. 

The Bannorn wasn’t immune to the chaos. Eavan sent most on to the local Banns, refusing to take in anybody who stunk of mage towers or templar training. But the children – that was a different story. They currently had five living with them. Five youngsters, all magelings, all victims of the mage/templar war. All of them had been in the Circle when it fell. Their ages ranged from a young six to a startlingly mature ten, all of them pretty much orphans, and now theirs. 

Their family. Their little clan. 

Eavan may hold no love for Circle politics and templars in general, but she had a soft spot for children. So they had gotten to stay. Alistair had taken one look at the five grubby faces and had melted into a giant puddle of babbling goo, which Anders hadn’t minded as he had been pretty gooey himself over the thought of children around. Even Justice had quieted further, taking on the responsibilities of these children as penance for their actions in Kirkwall.

They had all started to settle into a family routine when word came that the Orlesian wardens were hearing the Calling. All of them. That had been enough for Eavan to pack up a bag, send word to Alistair in Denerim that she was off to talk to Avernus, and leave. She refused to wait on Alistair,saying that she wouldn’t put any of them at risk of an early death. And besides, Avernus probably had some potion sitting around that could fix all this – or could be prodded to make something to fix all this. So she had sent a letter to the palace in Denerim, grabbed her daggers, and left.

And then the letter came to Marian that things were getting worse. That Corypheus was still alive. She had sat at the table with him, the letter between them, and had said “I need to see this through. You know I do.”

And that had been that. She wouldn’t take him, wouldn’t dream of uprooting the children and putting him into harms way. So here he stayed. Him and the five children. He worked with them and their magic, worked in the garden, took care of the houses, and slowly went insane. It was bad enough that Eavan was out there. But Marian…Marian…his Marian. What if she was dead? Gone?

Nightly he looked for her in the Fade, fought off despair and the black hole of depression, struggled with Justice and the need to leave, to find her. The only thing anchoring him now were the children. Maddie, Thomas, Bella, Jax, and Surry – none of them old enough to be put in charge, all of them needing him, needing his guidance and his love. 

He cupped his hands around his cup of tea and pondered breakfast and children and lessons. He barely felt the tears falling down his face until he felt a little hand patting at his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Maddie there on the bench next to him. Her brown hair was mussed from sleeping and her wide blue eyes were filled with concern. “Papa Anders. You’re crying. Why?” She reached up at wiped at his cheek. “It’ll be ok. Momma Marian will come home and so will Momma Eavan. You’ll see.”

“I’m fine. Fine. You’re up early, Maddie-girl. Come here.” He set his cup back on the table and let her little body curl up on his lap. “Why are you awake so soon?”

“I dreamed, Papa. It’ll be ok. You’ll see.” She patted at his chest. “I love you.”

His heart warmed at her simple affection, at the smell of child and the feeling of small hands touching him. “I love you too, my little blossom. More than anything.”

The sound of birds squawking in the distance had him looking towards the window. The birds were a good indication of something or somebody in the fields. More than once, hearing the birds’ angry yelling had alerted Anders to bandits. He put Maddie down and tapped her nose, moving slowly to look out the window, his hand reaching for the staff he kept near the back door.

A figure was walking towards the homestead. Wrapped in a cloak, it was hard to tell who was approaching but the figure looked familiar. Felt familiar. Anders opened the door and stepped out onto the stoop, shading his eyes from the rising sun as he watched the figure move closer. 

She was at the garden gate before Anders’ brain registered who, exactly, stood there. Marian, wrapped in a dark cloak and carrying a half-filled rucksack, opened the gate and slowly approached him. “I’m home.” 

He had forgotten how she felt. How she smelled. The way she fit just right against him. The tilt of her lips when she smiled, the taste of her skin. He had forgotten and yet hadn’t. His arms were tight around her, so tight he didn’t know if he could ever actually let her go. And she clung back to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she shook in his arms.

“Maker Marian. I was so worried…so…I missed you. Missed you. Promise me you’ll never do this again. Promise me.” Anders peppered her face with kisses, his eyes searching hers.

“Never again. I won’t leave you or the kids again. I swear it.” She said softly, “I love you. You know that, right? Always? “

“Always,” He whispered. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not now. Not…for a while. I just want to be with you. To put away the fighting and fear and just…be with you.” She brushed her hand over his cheek. “You haven’t been sleeping.” Her voice was filled with accusation and worry.

“Never could hide that from you,” He said on a soft laugh, tucking her under his arm and moving them into the home. “Maddie, it seems your dreams were correct. Look who’s here!”

“Momma Marian!” The little girl threw herself into Marian’s arms. “I’mma going to go wake everybody up. We’ve missed you! Missed you!” She squeezed Marian around her neck and then leapt towards the door that led to the bedrooms. “Hey! Wake up! Momma is home!” Her voice filled the house.

Marian smiled up at Anders. “I swear, never again. I’m here to stay. Forever. The Inquisition has a good leader, a strong woman who can fix this. For once, I’m not needed.”

“Not true, Marian Hawke. I need you. And they need you.” Anders said as he cuddled her against him. “Now, you need to put your stuff in our room and then wash up. I’m just about to start breakfast. We have a lot to talk about. The children have all made such fantastic progress while you’ve been away.”

Marian beamed up at him and laid her staff next to his by the door, swung her cloak off and hung it on the hook next to his, and then headed back to their room to wash up. Anders stared at the cloaks hanging together and the staves leaning against each and felt his heart warm and everything settle. She was home. His heart had returned. 

Life was back to the way it should be.


End file.
